Panthers

ARTICLES ABOUT PANTHERS BY DATE - PAGE 4

Collingswood field hockey goalie Becca Hall panicked as she ran to take her place on the field. She couldn't find her lucky jersey. "I told her change was good," Panthers captain Rachel Galante said. For Collingswood, change was great. The Panthers broke the undefeated streak of visiting West Deptford by pulling out a late 1-0 win in an intense Colonial Liberty matchup Wednesday afternoon at Knights Field. "It's awesome because last year we were in the same position as them, being undefeated," said Galante, a senior midfielder.

Collingswood football coach Jack McConnell might have lost track of the punts and penalties and peculiar plays that marked his team's game against Paulsboro. But he knew one statistic for sure. "We always talk about gut checks, and there were 1,000 of them," McConnell said after Collingswood's 16-14 victory over Paulsboro in a Colonial Conference interdivision tug-of-war Saturday. It was that kind of a game. It was a rugged, ragged struggle in which the turning point was a shotgun snap that sailed over the Paulsboro quarterback and out of the end zone for a safety that gave Collingswood a 2-0 lead in the third quarter.

MICHELLE STRAUGHTER didn't make any plays when Imhotep Charter chopped up Mastery North, 50-0, on Saturday night, but she had an impact nonetheless by way of a converstaion with her son, Seiffudin Black. The 5-10, 181-pound defensive back had two interceptions - his first two this season - and returned both for scores just like he said he would. "On the way to the game, she told me, 'Seiff, you didn't catch a pick this year, yet,' " Black said, as fans filed out of the Ben Johnston Supersite.

EARLIER THIS WEEK, Ovonnie Baker awoke from his home along 56th and Market streets, only to be greeted rudely by what he felt was a harsh and unjust foe. The Overbrook High junior is a transfer from Miami Carol City Senior High School, so when the "brisk" Philadelphia air hit his body, he retreated for reinforcements. "It doesn't really get cold in Miami until around December, so waking up for school . . . " said Baker, with the hint of a hybrid Southern drawl as he shook his dreadlocked hair in disbelief.

Rachel Galante, a Collingswood field hockey captain, knows she can count on her teammates to pick up the weight on the field that she can't carry just yet. Coming back from an offseason ankle injury, the senior midfielder was proud that she can rely on the players by her side to step up. That much was evident when the Panthers pulled out a nail-biting, 2-1 victory at rival Haddonfield to open the season Friday. "I'm happy with my teammates," Galante said, noting that the chemistry of the team is on par because of several veterans returning this season.

WITH A SIMPLE shrug of his shoulders and his face clad with an ear-to-ear smile, Imhotep senior DJ Moore assured what a stat sheet might never know. Yesterday at the Marcus Foster (Gratz) Supersite, Moore played under center, not at wide receiver, where his skill set has already earned him a scholarship offer from the University of Maryland (he committed this summer). The Panthers' typical tosser, Andre Dreuitt-Parks, was injured and still recovering from concussion-like symptoms suffered the previous week, so Moore was called to action against Boys' Latin.

A QUICK LOOK at the last two seasons of Imhotep Charter football produces some jaw-dropping numbers. The Panthers have amassed a 27-4 overall record, with a 10-0 mark in Public League play. Add to that scoring 1,313 points while allowing only 314 during that span, and you have clear-cut dominance. However, coach Albie Crosby, soon to enter his third season, isn't satisfied. "This year's slogan is: 'Still not done,' " he said while his Panthers polished their play behind the Lonnie Young Recreation Center.

Not a whole lot looks the same for the William Tennent softball team this year. Actually, that isn't entirely true. The personnel, for the most part, hasn't changed. What's different is just where coach Biz Keeny decided to put the players on the field. Laura Petri played most of last season in the infield. This year, she tracks down fly balls and hits in left field. As for Casey McMahon, she moved from the outfield last year to first base this year, and Whitney Delagol plays third, whereas last season, she was at shortstop.

SUNRISE, Fla. - The team that had the worst start in franchise history clinched a playoff berth Tuesday night at the BB&T Center. Captain Claude Giroux, who guaranteed the Flyers would make the playoffs when they had a 1-7 record, scored a pair of goals, sparking a 5-2 victory over lowly Florida and assuring that they will be playing in the postseason after being spectators last year. "I just believed in this team," Giroux said of his early-season prediction. "Last year, not making the playoffs was unacceptable.

SUNRISE, Fla. - Despite Florida's wretched record, the Flyers will not have an easy game against the Panthers on Tuesday night at the BB&T Center. The Flyers, desperate for a win to keep their second-place hopes alive in the Metropolitan Division, are facing a Florida team that has become formidable with the acquisition of veteran goalie Roberto Luongo. The Panthers have the second-fewest points (64) in the NHL, but Luongo has kept them competitive since he was reacquired from Vancouver.